Hail Damage to Your Roof: Signs & How to File a Claim

By the Orlando Roof Inspection team · Updated October 2026 · 8 min read

Hail as small as one inch across (about a quarter) can damage a typical asphalt-shingle roof, and you often can't see it from the ground. The clearest signs are circular granule loss, bare dark spots, soft bruising you feel by hand, and dents on gutters, vents, and flashing. If a hailstorm just hit, don't climb up to check — document what you can see, then get a professional inspection before you file a claim. Here's how to spot it and what to do.

1. What hail damage looks like

On asphalt shingles, look for:

• Circular granule loss. Hail knocks the protective granules off in round or oval impact spots.
• Exposed dark mat. Bare spots reveal the black asphalt mat underneath the granules.
• Soft bruising. A dented, spongy spot you feel rather than see, where the mat fractured under the surface. This is the damage most homeowners miss.
• Cracks and splits with sharp corners and edges, which point to impact rather than age.

Then check the soft metal around the roof. Dents or dings on gutters, downspouts, vents, and flashing are a strong sign the shingles were hit too. A buildup of granules in the gutters is another clue, though a little is normal. Sources: roofing & restoration hail-inspection guides.

2. How big does hail have to be?

It depends on the stone and the shingle. Sources disagree on exact thresholds, so treat these as a guide, not a guarantee:

Wind, roof age, and shingle type all change the outcome, which is why a storm that looked mild can still leave damage worth a claim. Sources: roofing hail-damage references.

3. Hail damage vs. normal wear

Adjusters look closely at this, so it helps to know the difference. Hail damage is scattered randomly across the roof, with sharp-bordered, often circular marks, and matching dents on nearby soft metal. Normal wear is uniform and gradual: even granule loss, curling along edges, and aging that follows sun exposure rather than a random pattern. If the "damage" lines up neatly with foot-traffic paths or appears only on the sun-facing slope, it's probably wear, not hail.

4. What to do after a hailstorm

1. Stay off the roof. You can spot most signs from the ground and from your gutters and downspouts. Roof falls are a leading cause of injury — leave the climb to a pro.
2. Document the date and storm. Note the date, and photograph dents on gutters, cars, AC units, and window screens as supporting evidence.
3. Get a professional inspection. A licensed inspector checks the roof safely, finds the bruising you can't see, and documents it with dated photos.
4. File within your policy's window. Most policies require prompt notice after a storm. Don't wait for a leak.
5. Know your deductible. Wind/hail deductibles are often a percentage of your home's value, so a small repair may not be worth a claim.

Our storm damage inspection produces exactly the kind of dated, photo-documented report an adjuster needs.

5. Will insurance cover it?

Usually, yes — sudden hail damage is a covered peril on most homeowners policies, and wind and hail are the single largest source of claims nationwide. But how much you receive depends on your roof's age and whether your policy pays replacement cost or actual cash value, and a separate wind/hail deductible may apply. We walk through all of it in does homeowners insurance cover roof replacement. Source: Insurance Information Institute (wind & hail = leading claim).

Sources

• Insurance Information Institute — Facts + Statistics: Homeowners insurance (wind & hail)
• Owl Roofing — How to Identify Hail Damage on Shingles
• NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory — Hail basics